Out of Africa, into the Orient, then over and out

The shocking investigation by Panorama last night brings a pretty strong case that all ivory sales should be banned from sale again and is an influential campaigning tool when the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meets to discuss applications for relaxing the ban further.  The ‘one-off’ sale in 2008 of African ivory to China and Japan has rekindled an addiction which is as insatiable as it is destructive.  Although African countries can trade on their internal markets, smugglers from the Far East can mingle easily with the Chinese entrepreneurs surging through the sub-Saharan nations.  The ebony hearts of the poachers in their quest for ivory show no regard for sustainability.  Chinese shops are supposed to be rigorously regulated but as Panorama showed, even state department stores do not follow protocol (which should invalidate the CITES settlement, bringing back a full ban).

There were some interesting facts revealed, such as the Chinese name for ivory translates as ‘elephant teeth’, contributing to lowered concern among the general population about how ivory is obtained.  Carvers on occasion resort to using the tusks of woolly mammoths dug out of frozen Siberian tundra but possessions made from these are viewed as less valuable in the Chinese market.  Also, though the African elephant is lumped as one, the jungle pachyderm is as different from its savannah brethren as lions are from tigers.  Yet because of their remote locations - reducing income from tourists - the jungle elephants are most at risk of extinction.  Mankind’s record on preserving species is generally lamentable, as man’s demands are infinite on the Earth’s finite resources.  As far back as Roman times, the Anatolian lion was hunted out of existence to entertain the blood sports at arenas and who feels sympathy for these long-gone beasts now?  Education among buyers is too slow and selling tusks will make little dent in overall African poverty.  The ban should be extended once again.